Book: Diary of a Void
Author: Emi Yagi
Reviewer’s Instagram: rainbetweenthelines
Photo Credit: rainbetweenthelines
Original Book Review
Just finished Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi and I have mixed feelings. The book is about thirty-something Shibata who pretends to be pregnant to escape the mundanity of her job in a paper core company. It tackles workplace sexism and the pressures faced by many women as they tackle pregnancy, motherhood, societal expectations at home and in the workplace. I loved the use of satire and humour to convey common frustrations and micro-aggressions that seem to be a part of the “female experience”. The author painted a very vivid, lonely and tiring picture of a “live to work” culture that no doubt significantly harms employees in toxic workplace environments. However, there were times where I felt a bit lost on some of the brief tangents Shibata had as they seemed to go nowhere. I couldn’t quite understand what the author was trying to convey at times. Overall, I think it is very easy to read and enjoyable and would definitely fall under “cozy Japanese fiction”, but I felt that the ending was a little lacklustre.
“Even if it’s a lie, it’s a place of my own. That’s why I’m going to keep it…And if I can hold on to that lie inside my heart, If I can keep repeating it to myself, it might lead me somewhere different…maybe I’ll change a little, and maybe the world will too.”
“So this is pregnancy. What luxury. What loneliness.”
Final rating: 5 stars
